Yes, but not as “Russia.”

Quick Scoop: Can Russia Participate in the Olympics?

Right now, Russia as a country is not allowed to compete under its flag, name, or anthem at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. However, some athletes with Russian passports can still take part if they meet strict conditions.

How Russian Athletes Can Compete

Russian athletes can participate only as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), not as “Russia” or “ROC.”

Key points:

  • No Russian flag, name, or anthem at the Games.
  • Athletes compete under a neutral flag and designation “AIN” (Individual Neutral Athletes).
  • Only individual sports are allowed; no Russian teams in events like ice hockey or other team disciplines.
  • Each athlete must pass a vetting process showing:
    • No links to the Russian military or security services.
    • No public support for the war in Ukraine.

This follows the same model used at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where a small number of Russian and Belarusian athletes competed neutrally, without national symbols.

Why Russia Is Restricted

Two main reasons sit behind the current situation:

  1. Doping scandals (long-term issue)
    • For years, Russian sport was hit by evidence of a state‑sponsored doping program, leading to bans and forcing athletes to compete under labels like “Olympic Athletes from Russia” or “ROC” instead of “Russia.”
  1. Invasion of Ukraine & Olympic Charter breach (recent issue)
    • After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced sanctions to limit Russia’s official presence.
 * In 2023, the IOC formally suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) for absorbing sports bodies in occupied regions of Ukraine, calling it a violation of the Olympic Charter and Ukraine’s recognized territorial integrity.

Because the ROC is suspended, Russia cannot send an official national team or be represented as a country at the Games.

What This Means for the 2026 Winter Olympics

  • Only a small number of Russian athletes are expected to compete in 2026 compared to past Games.
  • They will appear on results lists as AIN (Individual Neutral Athletes), grouped together with similarly neutral Belarusian athletes.
  • Russia is excluded from team sports; for example, there will be no Russian national team in Olympic ice hockey in 2026.

So if your question is “Can Russia participate in the Olympics?” :

  • As a country (flag, anthem, ‘Russia’ name): No, not under current IOC sanctions.
  • Can Russian athletes participate at all: Yes, but only as vetted neutral athletes with no official Russian symbols and subject to strict conditions.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.